Whiffletree-snap.



I no. 5,250.

Patented 0-ct..29, l90l. H. H. BROWN. WHIFFLETREE SNAP.

(Apph t n fildlia 2 1901 ("0 Mo el.)

mz H fi. Brown.

Wa esoca I UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

HARRISON H. BROWN, OF lFOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN.

WHlFFLETlREE-SNAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,250, dated October 29, 1901. Application filed March 2, 1901. Serial No. 49,617. (No model.)

du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVhiffletree-Snaps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains' to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to a fastener to be applied to a singletree or doubletree for the secure connection therewith of the traces, said fastener being located so as to be out of the way and not catch the horses tail or any part of the harness.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and'characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a cross-section of a pair of thills having the invention in position, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a perspective View. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the catch provided with a finger-piece. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

As shown most clearlyin Fig. l, the fastener is applied to the under side of the whiffletree 1, so as to be out of the way and not catch any part of the harness or the horses tail. To prevent the outer end portions of the whiffletree from being pressed down upon the outer ends. of the cross-bar 2, connecting the thills 3, blocks 4 are interposed between the cross-bar and whiftletree and are preferably attached to the cross-bar a short distance f rom its outer ends.

The fastener embodies in its construction a base=plate 5 and a pivoted catch 6. The

V base-plate 5 may be of any construction and size best adapted to the pattern or make of whiffletree to which the fastener is to be applied and is formed with or has applied thereto a stud 7, to which the catch 6 is pivoted. The base-plate is formed with openings to receive screws or fastenings of any character for'attachment of the fastener to the Whittletree. A teat 8 is located in line with the stud 7 and receives the endof a coil-spring 9, by

means of which the catch is held in engagement with the trace 10 and in position to prevent displacement of the trace when applied to the whiffletree. This teat 8 may be formed with or applied to the base-plate in a manner similar to the stud 7.

The catch 0 is pivoted midway of its ends to the stud 7, and the coil-spring 9 is interposed between the base-plate and the inner end of the catch and serves to press the inner end of the catch away from the whifiietree and its outer end toward the whiffletree, whereby the trace is prevented from casual displacement after being engaged with the whitfletree. A

'notch 11 is formed in the outer end portion of the catch to receive the part of the trace coming between the catch and the Whiffletree. The end of the catch exterior to the notch 11 is beveled, as shown at 12, and the opposing end portion of the whiffletree is correspondingly beveled in an opposite direction, and as a consequence the space formed between the beveled ends of the whiffietree and catch flares outwardly, thereby serving to guide the trace into the notch 11 when engaging the trace with the outer end of the whiftletree. The middle portion of the catch, adjacent the notch 11, is recessed,as shown at 13, to receive the stud 7, to which the catch is pivoted, and also to receive the outer end of the coil-spring 9, said recess being enlarged at 14 to form a seat in which the outer end of the spring 9 is received and which acts jointly with the teat 8 to hold the spring in place. The catch may be operated either by applying pressure directly to either end or by pressing upon a finger-piece 15, extended laterally from the inner end of the catch. If pressure is to be applied to the outer or beveled end 12 of the catch, it must be exerted so as to force said beveled end away from the whiftletree, and when applying the pressure to the inner end of the catch it is exerted so as to move said inner end toward the whiffletree.

The catch is limited in its movements by stops: In one form these stops consist of the corner portions of the stud 7, the outer end of the stud being formed onalong curve, which inclines slightly, whereby provision is had for the pivotal movement of the catch. In another form the stud 7 serves to limit the movement of the catch in one direction, and a stop 16, applied to the catch, serves to limit the latter in its movement in an opposite direction by contact with the base-plate.

The trace 10 is applied to the end of the whiffletree in the usual manner, and after the extreme end portion of the whiffletree passes through the eye of the trace the latter is moved upon the whiffletree until it enters the notch 11 of the catch, the latter riding upon and engaging over the portion of the trace on the side of the whiifletree adjacent the catch. To release the trace, it is necessary to apply force to the catch in such a manner as to free the trace from the notch 11 thereof, after which the trace can be moved outward and slipped from the whiiiietree in the usual manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In combination, a cross bar, a whiiiietree having pivotal connection therewith, blocks interposed between the outer end portions of the cross-bar and the whififletree, and fasteners applied to the under side of the whifiietree for the securement of the traces thereto, substantially as set forth.

2. In a whiffletree-snap, a base-plate having an ofistanding stud, a catch having its middle portion recessed to receive the outer end of the said stud to which the catch is pivoted, and having the inner end of the recess enlarged to form a seat and said catch having a notch in its outer end portion, and a spring fitted in the said seat and interposed between the base-plate and inner end of the catch, substantially as specified.

8. In a whiflietree-snap, a base-plate hav-' ing an oftstanding stud constituting a stop,- a spring-actuated catch pivoted to said stud and having a notch in its outer end portion to engage over and receive a portion of the trace, and a stop applied to the outer end portion of the catch to engage with the baseplate and limit the inward movement of the said catch, substantially as set forth.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRISON H. BROWN. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

A. P. BAKER, D. D. SUTHERLAND. 

